Marvel's The Avengers 3D (4-Disc Combo Pack + Music Download Card) [3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy]

Blasphemy? Perhaps. But the best thing about what may be the most rousing and well-crafted superhero movie since The Dark Knight is not the boffo action scenes that culminate in a New York City-destroying finale that rivals Michael Bay's obliteration of the Chicago skyline in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. No, the real appeal of The Avengers comes from the quiet moments among a group of decidedly unquiet humans, extra-humans, mutants, and demigods. In no particular order those are Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), S.H.I.E.L.D. world-government commander Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), and indispensable functionary Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg). That's a superstar lineup both in and out of character, and The Avengers brilliantly integrates the cast of ensemble egos into a story that snaps and crackles--not to mention smashes, trashes, and destroys--at breakneck pace, never sacrificing visual dazzle or hard-earned story dynamics. Writer-director Joss Whedon is no slouch when it comes to being a comic geek and he handles the heavy duty reins with efficient panache. The effects are of course spectacular. They include a monstrous flying aircraft carrier that is home base to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury's Avenger Initiative; Tony Stark's gleaming skyscraper in midtown Manhattan; off-world scenes of malignant evil; as well as blindingly apocalyptic fights and the above-mentioned showdown that leaves New York a virtual ruin. Yet it's the deeply personal conversations and confrontations among the very reluctant team of Avengers that makes the movie pop. Full of humor, snappy dialogue, and little asides that include inside jokes, eye rolls, and personal grudge matches, the script makes these superhumans real beings with sincere passion or feelings of disillusionment. The conviction of the actors as they fully commit to their clever lines gives credibility to what comes off as more than simple banter, even during the more incredible moments among them (of which are many). The plot involves the appearance of Loki, disgraced villain and brother of Thor, who was also a key player in his eponymous movie. Loki has come to Earth to retrieve the Tesseract, a blue-glowing energy cube that is valuable beyond compare to forces good and evil throughout the universe. As Loki, Tom Hiddleston is supremely, yea gloriously appealing as the brilliantly wicked regal charmer who captures minds from S.H.I.E.L.D. and attempts to conquer Earth with the hideous army at his command. To say he is foiled is an understatement. His face-off with the Hulk is one of the giddiest moments in a movie filled with lightheaded mayhem, and is a perfect example of Whedon's throwaway approach to translating the mythic mystique of the Marvel comics universe. Though at times deadly serious (as deadly serious as an outrageous superhero destructo/fight-fest movie can be, that is), The Avengers is best when it lightens up and lets the fun fly alongside the powerhouse punches. By the way, a single blink-and-you'll-miss-it powerhouse punch is another moment that makes Hulk the most loveable underdog of a smashing green rage monster ever. That spirit of fun and pure adventure makes The Avengers the greatest kind of escapist Hollywood fantasy $250 million can buy. A blockbuster in the most literal sense. --Ted Fry

Lorsque Nick Fury, le directeur du S.H.I.E.L.D., l'organisation qui préserve la paix au plan mondial, cherche à former une équipe de choc pour empêcher la destruction du monde, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye et Black Widow répondent présents. Les Avengers ont beau constituer la plus fantastique des équipes, il leur reste encore à apprendre à travailler ensemble, et non les uns contre les autres, d'autant que le redoutable Loki a réussi à accéder au Cube Cosmique et à son pouvoir illimité...

Versions of Marvel’s The Avengers on Blu-ray and DVD

	Marvel's The Avengers	Marvel's The Avengers (DVD Combo Pack) [Blu-ray + DVD]	Marvel's The Avengers (Blu-ray Combo Pack) [Blu-ray + DVD]	Marvel's The Avengers 3D [Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy]	Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled (10-Disc Limited Edition Six-Movie Collector's Set)
Release Date	September 25, 2012	September 25, 2012	September 25, 2012	September 25, 2012	April 2, 2013
Language (Audio) Options	English, French	English, French	English, French	English, French	English, French
# Discs/Format	1 Disc DVD	Two Discs: 1 Blu-ray and 1 DVD	Two Discs: 1 Blu-ray and 1 DVD	Four Discs: 1 Blu-ray 3D, 1 Blu-ray, 1 DVD and 1 Digital Copy Disc	10 Discs Total
Digital Copies	No	No	No	Yes	No
Digital Album Download	No	No	No	English Version Only	No
Commentaries	Audio Commentary by Director Joss Whedon	Same as DVD	Same as DVD	Same as DVD	To Be Announced
Featurettes	- “Assembling the Ultimate Team”	- “Assembling the Ultimate Team” - “A Visual Journey”	Same as Two-Disc DVD Combo Pack	Same as Two-Disc Combo Packs	To Be Announced
Deleted Scenes	None	- Alternate Opening - Maria Hill Interrogation - Extended Scene - Loki & Barton Strategize - Steve Rogers - Man Out of Time - Nick Fury & World Security Council - Extended Viaduct Fight - Raw Footage - Fury & Hill Discuss the World Security Council - Extended Scene - Banner and Security Guard - Alternate Ending - Maria Hill Interrogation	Same as Two-Disc DVD Combo Pack	Same as Two-Disc Combo Packs	To Be Announced
Other Features	None	- Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 - Second screen - Gag reel - Soundgarden music video - “Live to Rise”	Same as Two-Disc DVD Combo Pack	Same as Two-Disc Combo Packs	To Be Announced